Two cited for buying alcohol for underage decoy

ESCONDIDO  Two people face misdemeanor charges after Escondido police cited them Thursday for buying alcohol for an undercover decoy not old enough to buy it on his own.

The 42-year-old Escondido woman and 53-year-old Redmond, Ore., man were cited as part of a sting dubbed “Shoulder Tap.” During such stings, decoys target people as they walk into stores and ask them to buy alcohol for them.

The two people cited by police face fines of up to $250 and 32 hours of community service if convicted, police said.

The sting was a joint operation between the Police Department and the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which provided grant funding for the operation.